Combined corner shield and caster



June 16, m25. i 1,542,231

M W. S. GARFIELD COMBINED CORNER SHIELD AND CASTER Filed Dec. 4, 1923 INVEN TOR l145 j, zlfz'eld BY f;

A TTORNE YS Patented June 16, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT loEEicE.

COMBINED CORNER SHIELD AND` CASTER.

. Application lled December 4, 1923. Serial No. 678,526.

To all whom #may concern:

Be it known that I, VALTER SUMNER Gare l"riiiLn, a citizen ofthe UnitedStates` and a las"v resident of Dothan, in the eountyof .Houston andState of Alabama, have invented' certain new and useful Improvements inCombined Corner vShields and Casters, of

whichthe following is a specification. This invention relates to animprovement in combined corner shields and casters especially designedfor use on trunks or other baggage. i ,l

- The object of the invention `is to provide a device of this characterwhich protects and reinforces the corncisot the trunk and which alsomounts thetru-nk in such manner that it may be smoothly and easily movedacross the floor.

A further object is to provide a device of this character having theforegoing enumerated advantages and capacities and which is alsopractically indestructible though of compact and simpleconstru'ction andornamental appearance.

Other objects and advantages ofthe iiivention reside in certain novelfeatures of the construction, coiiibinationpnd arrange-v ments of partswhich will be hereinafterV more fully described and particularlypointed`out in the appended claims, reterenee'being had to the accompanyingdrawings forming part oit this specification, and in which Figure 1v isa fragmentary perspective view, showing the invention applied to awardrobe trur'ilt; v l i Y 4 Figure 2 is a fragmentary View in verticalsection through a lower corner ot the trunk and the combined cornershield' and easter applied to said corner;

Figure 3 is a group view in perspective, showing the ball carrier,spring and abutment plate prior to assembly; and

Figure 4 is a perspectiveview of a com loined corner shield andeasterdetached and with the parts shown in Figure 3 removed therefrom.

Referring'to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a wardrobe trunktol which` for the sake of illustration, the present invention is shownapplied. It is to be understood however that the invention is equallyWell adapted for use on other types of. trunks and other formsofbaggage.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings, each lower corner of the trunkhas a combined corner shield and caster designated l'housing 16. chinedor otherwise formed in the body por- ,tion 12 around the inner end ofthe'guide `vropening 17.

generally at 11 applied thereto. "These conibined corner shields and'casters are all of identical construction so that acommon descriptionwill serve for all.

Each corner shield comprises a body portion 12 having attaching wings13, 14 and 15 integral therewith, the attaching wings being apertured inorder that screws or other suitable fastenin means may be convenientlyemployed tor firmly securing the corner shield in position. It is to beunderstood that when applied to the Vtrunk the y inner face `of the bodyportion 12 and the inner surfaces of the ,wings 13, 1i and 15 all fitflush up against the'contiguous portion of the trunk, these parts beingshaped and formed to this end. i j

A caster housing or casing 16 is integrally formed with the body portion12 of the shield and projects outwardly therefrom. .i cylindrical guideopening 1T is lorined in the housing 16. Around the outer end ot thisopening` 17 an inwardly directed annu lar flange 18 is integrally formedwith the An annular recess 19 is ma- {Ahall carrier, designatedgenera/Hy at 2l), 'is provided and is formed with a socket 21 I 1nwhich'a oall 22is rotatably mounted and retained.r lFor the sake ofillustration the socket 2l is shown as being formed ot' a singiepieceot1 metal, the marginal portion of the metal being rolled, spun orswaged ins;

wardly toprevent accidental displacement of the ball.- Of course it isto be understood that in lieu of this expedient a retaining cap may berovided and mayhave screw thread ed connection with the body portion ofthe ball carrier. Inwardly beyond the socket 21 the ball carrierissomewhat reduced/ as at 23, and on this reduced portion a collar 21 isfitted and fixed. The collar 2l iiiay be shrunk on the reduced portion23 ot' the ball carrier or it may be screw threaded or otherwisesuitably connected thereto. One end ot' the collar abuts the shoulder 25formed around the inner end of the reduced portion 23 of the ballcarrier. The opposite end oi' the collar 24;. is torinedfwith a marginalfiaiige 26 which enlarges the peripheral area of the collar and whichprovides a seat 27 for a purpose which will presently appear. Acompression coil spring 28is provided andone end of the spring 28 isreceived in iury the, seat 27. The opposite end of the spring isreceived in a seat-29 provided therefor in a plate 30.

In assembling the parts the ball carrier 2O with the ball 22 therein andthe collar 24 fixed thereto is inserted through the inner end of .theguide opening 17 of the shield before the shield is applied to thetrunk. In the assembly, the peripheral surface of the collar 24 and itsflange 2G has a sliding fit in the guidel opening 17 and the largebearing ara provided by the flange 26 insures proper sliding movementof, the ball carrier and prevents jamming. After the ball carrier hasbeen assembled as de# scribed, the spring 28 is inserted into the guideopenings 175 through the inner open end thereof and the loiver end ofthe spring is engaged with the seat27. Theplate 30 is then placedron thetop of the spring 28 above, the-recess' 19 and when the shieldis appliedand secured to the trunk the plate 30 is forced into the recess 19 andcompressesthe eoilspri'ng Q8. by virtue of its engagement with the adjaeent portion of the trunk.

The coil spring 28 being thus t-ensioned projects the ball carrier andthe ball beyond -the caster housing, as shown to advantage in Figure ,2.The outward movement of the ball carrier and the vball is limitedb theengagement ofthe collar Qwith the ange 1S. [The inward movementof theball carrierA and ball is resiliently resisted by the spring 28.

yIn use,1the balls 22 enable the trunk to be easily moved" and when usedon'a Wardrobe' trunk greatly facilitates the opening and closing of thetrunk. The casters also serve to aid the shield in protecting thecorners of the trunk for should the trunk be roughly handled and aeaster forcibly strike a rigid'object, the shock of such impact will belargely absorbed by the caster which will move inwardly against theVtension of the spring28 and thus cushion if not absorb the shock andprevent fracture of the shield and possible damage to the corner of thetrunk. The same action of course prevents ,the ball and ball carrierfrom being broken or damaged. In this manner the reinforcingand'pi'otective action of the corner' shield and the advantages of asmooth and easy `running easter are had and tllre combined device isrendered practically indestructible or unbreakable.

` `I claim:

1. A, combined corner shield and caster for use on trunks, said .shield.comprising jecting the ball from the housing and for-` resilientlyinward y movement thereof.

2.. A combined corner shield and caster' resisting wings, the bodyportion and the attaching wings being'adapted to be secured Hush upagainst the trunk, a caster housing integral with said body portion,said casterhousing having a guide opening therein and having an inwardlyvdirected marginal fiange around the outer end of said opening and arecess around the inner end of said guide opening, a ball carrierarranged in said housing and having a socket therein, a ball rotatablymounted in Said socket, a collar fixed to the carrier and having aflange enlarging the peripheral yarea of the collar and providing aspring seat, the periphery of theA collar being slidably engaged4 With'i the Wall'of the guide opening, a compression'coil spring having oneend engaged vball from the housing and for resiliently resisting inwardmovement thereof. 4. In a device of the character described, a casterhousing having guide openings provided With an inwardly directedmarginal flange around its outer end, a ball carrier arranged in thehousing `and having a socket, a ball rotatably fitted in the socket, acollar fixed to the carrier and having a fiange enlarging the peripheralarea of the collar and also providing a spring seat, the periphery ofthe collar being slidably engaged with the Wall-of the guide opening, acompression coil spring having one end engaged with the spring seat ofsaid collar, and means providing an abutment for the other end of saidcoilspring.

5. In a device of the character described, a caster housing having aguide opening, a ball carrier mounted in the housing and having asocket,a ball rotatably fitted in'- tlie socketa collar fixed to tliecar'rierand having its periphery slidably engaged with the guide opening,` andspring means co-operable With the collar for projecting the ball carrierand the ball from the housing.

WALTER SUMNER GARFIELD.

